Reports: Charleston hires Akron's John Groce as coach

Field Level Media|published: 03/30/2026, 12:27pm EDT

Akron Zips coach John Groce celebrates after a foul call during a Mid-American Conference Tournament semifinal against Kent State on March 13, 2026, in Cleveland.

The College of Charleston is hiring Akron's John Groce as its new men's basketball coach, multiple outlets reported Monday.

Groce, 54, has guided the Zips to the NCAA Tournament in four of the past five seasons following previous coaching stints at Illinois (2012-17) and Ohio (2008-12).

Groce replaces Chris Mack, who departed last week to become the head coach at South Florida after going 45-20 in two seasons at Charleston.

In 18 seasons as a head coach, Groce has compiled a 377-225 record with seven trips to the NCAA Tournament. He was 85-56 at Ohio and 95-75 at Illinois before going 197-94 at Akron.

Groce was named the Mid-American Conference Coach of the Year in 2020 and 2025 and received the Hugh Durham Award in 2025 as the most outstanding mid-major men's basketball coach.

The Zips finished 29-6 this season, falling to Texas Tech in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

--Field Level Media